Microwave Kitchen Fire

[Tuckervill]

One of my husband's ex-employees was not so lucky on Friday, we learned. Her house burned in the night and she went back in to save her dog, and she perished. Unfortunately, she lived alone, had no children, no other close relatives, and they were unable to identify her. We knew it was her house from the picture in the paper on Saturday, so my husband has the grim task of looking in his records for emergency contacts and getting that information to the police. He tried yesterday, but no one in the police department would take the information until the right person comes in this morning.

My husband has been in touch with the fire chief, and the lady's niece. We read in the paper that they were doing DNA testing to determine her identity since she was unidentifiable, and an autopsy to determine her cause of death (standard procedure). They have asked my husband to see if the company's insurance company will release a dentist's name, if any, for identification.

Apparently the niece, who couldn't be bothered to come 80 miles to help her when she broke her hip (I, a stranger, am the one who took her to the ER after she lay on her couch for 3 days), has already been through the house, took her van, and all the papers they could find. And probably any cash or valuables that may have been there.

Her sister lives in CA and hasn't come out, yet. I guess she's waiting until the body is released from the coroner. Pam wanted to be cremated, so there will be no service here, according to the niece. I'm kind of sad about that. Pam was a hard person to like, kinda. She smoked and smelled like it, and was not attractive and had a smoker's voice, and it was loud and obnoxious. But she had an urge to care for others and always cooked for the employees, even though it sometimes wasn't welcomed, and she thought the world of my husband. She was a bit too needy, and relied too much on some of the guys at work for things she should have had friends or family do, or paid someone to do them. Even so, the employees who knew her might beneift from a service.

The dog was burned, too, but it came out of the house and someone took it to a vet. It lived a couple of days, but it took a turn and had to be put down. Doubly sad that Pam died, because the dog she went back in for was already out of the house. Sometimes it crosses my mind that she may not have wanted to live, really, but that's complete speculation, since I only know her from the outside looking in.

A sad story all around. Thanks for indulging me enough to let me share it here.

Karen

[Dogmama]

I'm surprised that the microwave hasn't been recalled yet. I read about it when I replaced my last microwave, about a year ago. The local appliance company said that GE knew about it and had corrected the problem in their newer microwaves. Sometimes it's cheaper for companies to pay off the consumer than to go through the expense of issuing a recall.

I'm glad you're OK Padres. My father died in a fire, so I have an unusually high fear of fire. I don't even allow candles in my house.

+1 on fire extinquishers and check them to make sure they're still charged.

[Dogmama]

Thanks folks. I appreciate the comments.

I've been obsessively reading smoke alarm reviews and just ordered overnight shipment of 3 from Amazon. Phew. Now maybe I can go to sleep.

Thanks again folks.

Padres, did you get those smoke alarms? If yes, do you like them? I have two that are hard wired into the house plus one battery operated one that I'm not too keen on. I checked your link & those look very nice. How do they attach to the wall?

[pardes]

Padres, did you get those smoke alarms? If yes, do you like them? I have two that are hard wired into the house plus one battery operated one that I'm not too keen on. I checked your link & those look very nice. How do they attach to the wall?

Yes, I have them! They attach to the ceiling (or high on the wall) with two screws. Couldn't be simpler. They are VERY loud.

A funny aside. I was getting ready for a luxurious bubble bath with candles and everything. I put one of the candles down on the small three drawer cabinet I have next to the tub. There I am naked and ready to step into the tub when one of the smoke detectors went off. I frantically ran from detector to detector, room to room, to see which one was alarming. None of them were. Every time I got to one the alarm sound appeared to be coming from another room. I made the circuit again, the dogs are FREAKING out, I'm FREAKING out by then too.

Finally I realized that the smoke detector I had replaced in the hallway was in the cabinet drawer below the burning candle and it was SIRENING for all it was worth. I had forgotten to remove the battery!

It took quite a while submerged in the bubblebath jacuzzi to calm down again.

Can you imagine what the poor dogs were thinking watching me run around naked from detector to detector? After that they both asked for a Xanax but since I don't have any, I gave them two slices of cheese instead.

[Velobambina]

Pardes -- I couldn't find anything on the CSPC or GE website about the XL1800 mode. I even called GE --- nothing.

Is your microwave http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml08/08110.html

We've been unplugging our XL1800 when it's not in use, just to be safe.

Do they call you "the streak?" LOL

[Dogmama]

It took quite a while submerged in the bubblebath jacuzzi to calm down again.

Can you imagine what the poor dogs were thinking watching me run around naked from detector to detector? After that they both asked for a Xanax but since I don't have any, I gave them two slices of cheese instead.

My dog trainer side imagines your dogs trying to figure out how to make the detector go off so they can get cheese.

Thanks for the info!

[pardes]

Pardes -- I couldn't find anything on the CSPC or GE website about the XL1800 mode. I even called GE --- nothing.

This is one site where I found references to fires while not running.

My dog trainer side imagines your dogs trying to figure out how to make the detector go off so they can get cheese.Thanks for the info!

Wow, a new form of clicker training! Move over Caesar!

[Velobambina]

Thanks for the link!!!